Forestry articles from across Nature Portfolio

Northern Hemisphere trees planted in the Southern Hemisphere can thrive, displaying increased stem growth and physiological signals linked to reduced stress.

Fresh evidence reveals that the interplay of several factors could affect the ability of these trees to grow.

More than one third of global forest loss is embodied in international demand, with urbanization and manufacturing emerging as key predictors, according to a study that combined satellite observations with trade modeling and machine learning.

Optimizing stand density through targeted planting and thinning could increase aboveground biomass in China’s planted forests by approximately 8.8 Pg without additional land, according to analyses of paired UAV and satellite LiDAR observations, tree density maps, and multiple biomass datasets.

High-resolution biomass changes maps reveal net carbon losses across Central African forests, show that small disturbances drive carbon changes, and provide spatially explicit national carbon budgets broadly consistent with independent estimates.

Over one-third of global forests are becoming simultaneously more productive and less resilient, with rising atmospheric dryness driving resilience loss and reshaping how forests coordinate carbon uptake and water use, according to analyses of 20 years of remote sensing data.

Anthropogenic forest edges in China reduce ecosystem productivity and stability more strongly and over greater distances than natural edges, with effects linked to altered canopy structure and microclimatic conditions, based on a nationwide assessment of fragmented forests and edge dynamics.

Research across 1,039 cities worldwide shows that improving the amount, quality and placement of urban green space could reduce birds’ extreme heat exposure by 34 to 39% and increase urban bird diversity by 2 to 4%.

Northern Hemisphere trees planted in the Southern Hemisphere can thrive, displaying increased stem growth and physiological signals linked to reduced stress.

Fresh evidence reveals that the interplay of several factors could affect the ability of these trees to grow.

The 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome shows how acute thermal stress challenges prevailing assumptions about ecological resilience and adaptation. Extreme heat events are revealing physiological limits in forests that are not captured by conventional climate risk frameworks.

Canada’s forest disturbance costs have been rising quickly. This Comment proposes that silviculture must be reframed as a risk mitigation tool under an ‘avoided costs’ framework, as proactive investments become essential to prevent far greater damage to society and ecosystems.

As deforestation in the Amazon falls, fresh evidence shows that the rainforest can withstand global warming, but only if there is a worldwide effort to stop cutting it down.